Dear no one,
by sandmanslullaby
Summary: A not-so-average love story. Modern AU. (Inspired by Tori Kelly's song "Dear No One") [Un-beta'd]
1. Part I

_Dear No One_

.

.

.

A love doomed from the start, yet the woman and man gave it their all to make it work.

It's an ending she knew all too well.

Sakura had read the story of Henry and Claire in _The Time Traveler's Wife_, many times— too many times maybe. Yet it has never failed to bring her to the verge of tears, though she managed to reign most of them in this time around.

She was well into her shift that evening, and while indulging in a bit of light reading may have saved her from the never-ending boredom that comes from waiting tables at the diner, her boss wouldn't appreciate her scaring away the business with her emotional theatrics. After all, it is _Valentine's Day._

Ah, Valentine's Day. Take a huge whiff from the air, and one might catch the heavy aroma of roses, chocolate, and the sweat of nervous lovers conversing around them. A mockery of a holiday, Sakura thinks, that's supposed to be celebrated in the company of a significant other. To others, however, this day just served to remind them of what they are missing.

She impatiently checked the time on her watch. It is half past five, and she could see the winter sky had darkened through the window shades of the diner. Sakura scowled as she tied the final bow around the stems of the three flowers in her hands. Mr. Ichiraku had had her arranging small bouquets of silk roses for each table and booth since 3:00 when she had got there, and her fingers were starting to cramp from working nonstop.

She usually never worked the night shift on Thursdays, but that week schedules were changed, and because Ayame had made plans with her boyfriend, Sakura found herself begrudgingly taking the girl's shift which would last until one in the morning. On top of a bonus, Sakura had been promised the rest of the weekend off and more pay of course, which meant more sleep and study hours. However, the incentive wasn't enough to clear up the imaginary rain cloud over her head when she had been called in last minute to work that night.

All of her good friends would be out in the city entertaining their sweethearts, while she will be working to serve others alike. And if she has learned anything from her friends outings it is that she rather not be the third or fifth wheel of those gatherings.

But still... wondering what they were up to wouldn't hurt.

Naruto had mentioned in passing that he would be taking Hinata ice skating. A nice gesture, considering it's Naruto who proposed it. It definitely beat the idiot's track record for previous dates: fast food and movie.

Ino would be going out on her fifth date of the week. Prior to being called in her best friend, the ever meddler the blonde is known to be, had insisted on setting Sakura up on another blind date. However, like the other offers that she have thwarted (she remembered the date when she met Sai) Sakura declined.

Speaking of Sai, he's probably working late at the studio. Painting portraits of nudes and the such. Shikamaru is probably visiting his on and off girlfriend in Suna. Tenten would be attending Hyuuga gala with her steady boyfriend of two years. And Sasuke...

Well, Sakura actually didn't know what he was doing. Not that she cared to ask anyway. Not did he would return the favor for that matter.

Her hands tightened momentarily around the arrangement in her hands before they loosened and continued with their work.

She sometimes wondered how the day that originally celebrated the life of a saint had become a day of romance and cheesy hallmark cards.

Did this St. Valentine find love on this day?

Did the person love him back?

Did both live happily together?

So many questions, and not enough satisfying answers.

Sakura set aside the last of the table arrangements and absently began to flip through the pages of her worn novel. She glanced at the annotations written along the sides with mild interest.

Whoever owned this copy before her must have been an English Major, or a philosopher of some kind, if the profound thoughts written down indicated of the person's intellectual prowess. When she turned back to the beginning she noticed more writing, by the same person before, inside the flap of the cover. It was a poem of a sort. Curiously, she began to read:

**Life flashes by green.**

**Death ends in red.**

**But what stays constant,**

**What man holds dear is fear.**

**Fear of mortality,**

**Fear of oblivion,**

**Fear of incompletion.**

**For the opposite of fear is love,**

**And there are those who find it intangible.**

**But until you cross that bridge,**

**And find a love that**

She turned the page and frowned when she found it empty.

"A love that. . ." Sakura read aloud.

What type of love did she want?

Call her silly for it, or a romantic at heart (mind the negativity towards a holiday that celebrates romance), she just wants someone who's honest with her. Someone who is not afraid to voice their thoughts, for better or for worse.

Most of all, she would like to love and be loved in return. And with that thought in mind, she picked up her pen and began to write:

**And find a love that **_**is real**_**,**

_**Only then, will you find the one that beats to the rhythm of your heart.**_

"Ahem."

Someone cleared their throat behind her.

Sakura snapped the book shut and stuffed it into one of the many pockets of her apron. She turned around to meet the displeased gaze of her redheaded co-worker, who was tapping her foot impatiently.

Sakura sighed. "What is it Karin?"

Karin, the waitress clocked in before her, just glared at her with mouth open as if she was about to say something —something which usually turned out to be something that pissed the pinkette off. They stayed silent, the sounds of water running from the faucet, and plates hitting each other in the pool of dirty water in the sink in the background. Then the standoff ended when Karin huffed and began to walk away.

A couple minutes later Karin's head popped in through the kitchen door. The redhead was now wearing her winter coat, Sakura noticed, with a knowing smirk on her face. "Don't forget to lock up." She muttered, actually quite pleasantly, then the bells from the front door chimed, letting a waft of cold air enter the warm room before it slammed shut.

Outside she watched Karin cross the street towards her car just as a man with white hair suddenly popped out hidden between two cars to wrap his arms around her. Before Sakura could run out and help, her eyes widened when she saw the recognition in the redhead's eyes before a genuine smile formed on Karin's face as she hugged back the man holding her.

At that point, Sakura had to look away because she felt she was intruding on a rare moment of real emotion from her usually snooty co-worker. Her back faced the diner's door, she wrapped her arms around herself as a shudder ran through her body that had nothing to do with the cold.

Just then, Sakura saw the pile of dirty plates swimming in the sink and realized with a twitch of annoyance what Karin forgot to tell her before she had left.

Sakura bit the inside of cheek and scoffed, the small reunion outside long forgotten. She walked over to the sink to turn the faucet off, then began to finish the the small load dishes in just minutes. As she dried the dishes and was storing them away in their appropriate storage unit, mentally, she prepped herself for the long haul ahead. She was pulling her hair up into a ponytail when she turned to the digital clock on the wall behind her just as the numbers changed from 7:01 to 7:02

Sakura didn't even flinch when the hairband in her hand snapped in half, and fell limply to the ground. Sakura grimaced when she knelt down to pick up the torn hairband from the floor. She was discomforted by the thought of serving with her hair down, but quickly banished the thoughts when she made do my running her hand through her hair. After she made herself look more presentable, she sat on a stool at the end of the counter and watched the new guy working during her shift come in from the back room with packets of coins to put in the register.

Sakura rested her head in her arms and turned to look out the window just as the first snowflakes began to fall from the night sky to wait.

And wait.

And wait, until she felt the light dim, her eyes grow heavy, and her body slouch more comfortably against the counter.

. . .

**2 ½ hours later**

. . .

The first thing she heard as she came to was the song of "Shake it" playing in the background.

Sakura stretched and rubbed a hand extensively over her neck to smooth out the tension from sleeping on the hard table counter. There was only one person on her phone who would set their ringtone to Metro Station's hit, a.k.a. their high school anthem, and the song that Ino _insists_ to this day that she had invented the twerk for.

"Hello?" Sakura's voice was thick, still heavy with sleep.

_"Finally Forehead! What took you so long? How's work?" _The pinkette sighed. _Ino_.

She looked at the door and saw that the doormat looked dry and untouched, proving that no one had stopped by while she slept. Sakura looked back at the clock hanging by the entrance with a frown in place. A quarter past ten and no customers in sight. Sakura yawned through the speakerphone, "Slow, why?"

And so began Ino's recounting of her date ― which turned out to be with Sai of all people. Apparently the guy still had no tact when it came to communicating with people of the opposite sex, nonetheless Sakura had to hand it to the guy.

He was a gentleman for not once making an inappropriate move on her friend — to Ino's dismay. The blonde saw promise in him though, which in turn made Sakura happy for them.

Halfway through the call, a loud beep reminded that she had only ten percent battery left. Forced to cut the conversation short, Sakura had to promise Ino that she would call again the next day before the bossy blonde finally let her go and hung up. She walked over towards the window to catch the scenery, drinking generously from her bottle of water that she'd grabbed to wash out the sleep from her mouth.

Snow had covered the streets of Konoha in the time she had been asleep. There were a few couples strolling down and holding hands without a care in the world. Sakura's eyes narrowed when she watched them pass the diner without a moment's glance, only to repeat a few times.

_Strange_… she wondered.

Maybe they had found some place else better to spend Valentine's Day. _So much for generous tips today. _Sakura sighed tiredly as she pulled out her worn copy of _The Time Traveler's Wife_ out of her apron. She pulled out her pen and began to write:

**But for now, Dear no one.**

**Whoever you are,**

**Wherever you may be.**

**Our hearts beats as one.**

**Listen for mine, as I will listen for yours.**

**Find me and I'll love you.**

**To the end, **

**When our light goes red.**

While she contemplated what to add more, she failed to hear the telltale chime of bells of the door opening, but felt a gust of cool air that entered the establishment. Footsteps slowly made their way towards the counter where she stood, lost in thought.

Only when she heard the clearing of a man's throat then she notice the dark shadow that had descended over her.

"Excuse me." A quiet, baritone voice asked.

Embarrassed, she quickly looked up with a sheepish grin to greet the newcomer.

"Sorry about that. What can I do for you...?" Her voice trailed off, eyes widening at the sight before her. Surprised green eyes met dark, amused orbs. The man's lips moved, forming words, but Sakura heard nothing.

Raven hair.

Onyx eyes.

_Uchiha_.

"Sasuke-kun?" The name slipped out unconsciously.

The corner of the man's lip twitched upward into a dazzling smile. He shook his head in negative.

"Unfortunately, we're related," his deep voice deadpanned. Then he smirked, "He's my brother."

She ducked down and felt her face burn from the incoming blush. "Oh... My mistake then." Sakura smiled nervously at him, "I haven't seen Sasuke since, well, when we-were..." _Together_. There was an awkward pause. "So it's been a while, and we don't talk much as we used to―"

He raised a hand to put a stop to her rambling. A genuine smile softened his hard, weathered features. "No explanation is needed, Sakura-san." He replied, her name rolling off his tongue in such a familiar way that it made her heart skip a beat. "I understand."

Another blush appeared on her cheeks, replacing the other just as fast as it had appeared. Her heart was racing a million beats a second when she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "H-how do you know my name?" She quietly berated herself for being reduced to a stuttering mess.

The man blinked once before a small frown took shape on his aristocratic features. Confusion clouded his eyes. "Forgive me, is it not Sakura?" He inclined his head to her chest where a small name tag with the name 'Sakura' engraved in bold letters was clipped to her shirt.

She was mortified. And if it were possible, she would have turned even redder than she already was."Oh ― No! My name is Sakura. That's what name tags are there for. . . So people can read them. He-he. . . It's just that― you see, I thought. . ." Sakura sighed in defeat. "It's been a long night."

An awkward silence fell over them. Or a silence, at least, that seemed awkward to her. He still looked at her with an air of confidence that she wish she had right now.

Sakura noticed the man's feet shift a bit. It took her a second to realize he must be have been waiting to order. She tucked the book away into her apron once more and steeled herself with a false cheery smile before meeting his intense gaze. "Sorry about that. What can I get you?"

He just stared at her. Probably waiting if she wouldn't implode like a tomato, she thought dryly. Satisfied that she was well, he spoke. "A cup of coffee, please, if it isn't too much trouble." He asked politely and chose that moment to give her a quick once over. His gaze lingering over her hair which made her self conscious of her hair being down.

"Of course! Choose a seat and I'll bring it over." Sakura gave him another smile before she made her way to the coffee station to prepare his warm beverage. As she heated a kettle of water on the stove, Sakura took a moment to study her new friend.

To put it simply, the man was _breathtaking_.

He chose to sit in the booth closest to the window at the far corner of the diner. He removed his gloves and scarf, and smoothly shrugged out of his dark peacoat, revealing underneath a blue sweater that hugged his lean torso snugly. He wore dark, fitted jeans (that were designer made no doubt) with a metal chain hanging out of his pocket. If she were to give a guess, the man stood almost a foot taller than her ― a little over six feet. He had long, dark hair that was tied neatly into a low ponytail, at the nape of his neck. Long bangs framing his high cheekbones. He had a sharp nose, thin lips, and eyelashes that were long and full ― ones that would make any woman worth her grain of salt, envious. The man pulled out a pair of glasses and a leather bound journal with a pen, from his gray messenger bag. If she were to place him somewhere, she would think him as a graduate student. Konoha University is just a couple blocks down, so Sakura wouldn't be surprised if he is on his way home after a late study session.

His eyes, however, were a different story.

Though the same shade of onyx as the rest of his family, _unlike_ his family his eyes were expressive. She could clearly see the amusement and the underlying kindness of a gentle creature.

The whistle from the kettle of water on the stove signaled that the water has reached a boil. Using a rag to hold the hot kettle, she poured a generous amount of hot water into one mug, her hand hesitating over a second one. In the end, Sakura realized that she had forgotten to ask him how he would like his coffee done, and so prepared his coffee as if it were her own by adding two spoonfuls of sugar and a good amount of cream to balance out the flavor. Once both drinks had cooled down a bit, she held of one mug in each hands and walked to booth where he was seated in.

Sakura set his drink in front of him, next to his open textbook and his Smartphone, while he continued to write ferociously into his journal. She couldn't make out any words, much less sentences, so she just stood, looking outside, as she waited to be dismissed.

"Care to join me?" His quiet voice broke through her reverie. Sakura blinked down at him and noticed that he had put all his books away in the time that she was thinking, save for his phone which he just put off to the side. He had stood up to motion the seat opposite of him.

"Please." With a crooked smile that made her insides warm exponentially.

Her eyes meet his dark smoldering ones, and flickered back to the seat across from him. _It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean anything. _Sakura chanted in her head, softly setting her cup down on the table before completely seating herself into the booth. He sat down right afterward, reminding her of a time when a man stood up from his seat when his wife (she _hoped_ it was the man's wife since he had a wedding band on) arrived, and sat back right down after she was seated like a gentleman. She blushed at the thought. _Pfft. Chivalry is dead._

A comfortable silence settled at the table, and if he noticed how her fingers fidgeted around her coffee mug, he didn't say. Instead, he reached out for his own cup to take a generous sip. He grunted in approval which Sakura took as a good sign.

"This is very good. How did you prepare it, if I may ask?" He asked once he put it down. His dark eyes were illuminated by the glow of the lamp above us. Sakura was able to catch a sliver of cobalt in the irises, marking another difference to the list of contradictions of his Uchiha lineage.

She smiled inwardly. "Two spoons of sugar and some vanilla cream. It's usually how I prepare my own coffee in the morning before heading out."

"Ah." He took another sip.

With renewed confidence Sakura plunged into conversation with him. "So you're a sweets person?"

The corner of his mouth lifted into another crooked grin. "You can say that."

"Doesn't run in the family though. Sasuke never liked anything sweet." Saying his name out loud without the suffix brought mixed feelings for her

"Me and brother are polar opposites." He looked away, deep in thought. "While a cloud of gloom seems to follow his every step, I try to view things on a much more... _positive_ outlook."

He took another sip. "My father made it so we never had any sweets growing up at our household. His reasoning behind this decision was that Uchihas must rise above temptation. Naturally, Sasuke stuck with the philosophy, but once I left home, I strayed. Now, a plate of dango is what I usually order after a long lecture at the university."

So she was right about the student part. "What are you studying?" She asked, interest piqued.

He nodded. "I'm in my second year in the masters program." That should make him about twenty six if her calculations are correct.

"For?"

He smirked. "Humanities and Philosophy."

Sakura giggled. "Philosophy?"

He nodded, amused by the face she made. "Why Philosophy, may I ask, when there's so many other majors out there? You look like a smart man. Why not study medicine, law, or even engineering?"

"Ah. Then why not study Philosophy?" He retorted back with a proud smirk on his face.

She snorted. "Touché."

He chuckled. His laugh sounded like a bag of rusted windpipes, growing stronger and healthier the more he did so. He looked at her with strange gleam in his eyes. "In philosophy there are no right answers, just well explained reasons of how the world may work. The possibilities of making theories about human nature are endless. It's what makes studying this subject so rewarding. I can help enable minds to think critically on their own, without giving them the answer to everything."

She smiled, admiring the passion in his voice as he spoke. "Spoken like a true philosopher."

His eyes grew wistful as he seemed to recall a line from a theory book. "Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor."

His head tilted a bit, drawing her attention to the fissure between his sharp jaw and where his neck met. They flickered back to his eyes where he was intently gazing her. It unnerved her.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Quit starring at me."

He shook his and smirked. "Do I make you nervous?"

_Yes_. She blushed and looked down at the table. "How often do you use that line on girls?" This is the first time she have noticed him so he shouldn't have been coming long.

"You're the first actually." He leaned back against his seat, crossing his forearms together across his chest and moved sensuously without his knowledge.

She pushed on ahead, ignoring the distraction. "And how long have you been coming here?"

"Awfully inquisitive aren't we?" He thought about it before answering, "Two years."

Sakura's eyes grew wide in surprise before she composed herself to answer. "Really?"

_Two years?_ Maybe she wasn't so observant as she thought. She have been working here for almost... two? And not once did she remember seeing him in the clientele she served.

"Hmm." He hummed an affirmative through his cup. Having finished more than half of his warm beverage, he looked down at it once more before setting it back down. "So." A pause. "What's your story?"

Sakura choked on her drink. Wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt, she answered. "Pardon?"

His tone sounded amused. "How long have you worked here?"

"I started during the summer before senior year in high school, and have been working since. I'm already a sophomore on track for medical school because of the many credits I took in high school." She finished proudly.

"A pre-Med student then?" He asked, sounding impressed, while gesturing the pile of anatomy textbooks that lay forgotten on the counter.

She nodded.

He looked thoughtful. "So you enjoy helping people?"

Sakura thought about her answer. "I actually like to think it's more than that. I enjoy the satisfaction of being able to offer people a second chance at living. It what makes this job so rewarding..." This was probably the most honest answer she had ever given on why she wanted to become a doctor. It's unnerved her how easily she could be herself with this man.

"Fair enough." He sent her a small smile.

He unfolded his arms to stretch, drawing Sakura's attention for the second time to his person as the lean muscles that wrapped around his arms and shoulders. He leaned back against the cushion of his seat and closed his eyes, his breath steadying as he did so.

He opened them half a minute later, probably sensing her curious gaze on him. He met her wary green ones with a renewed light that made him look years younger, contrasting to the premature lines of age under his eyes. "There's more to you than what meets the eye." It was more of a statement than a question. She nodded, not sure where he was going with this.

He smirked. "So it would only be fair that you only share more. Yes?"

Sakura stifled a laugh. "What's more to know? You know my name. Plus, I don't even know yours. For all I know, you could be a deranged murderer, or a leper trying to steal my virtue." The moment those words left her mouth she wished the ground would swallow her up whole.

He stared at her for a long time before he broke into a fit of chuckles. The more he laughed, the more she wanted to make him laugh just so she could hear it again.

When he stopped, he continued. "Very true. Though my intentions with you are noble, I assure you,"He smirked deviously as his voice lowered an octave, "if you, as you kindly phrased it, _wanted_ me to steal your virtue. You would only have to ask." He winked at her.

She blushed and from smug smirk on his face she knew that he knew the effect his words had on her.

He cleared his throat before continuing, amusement still laced through his tone, "When you experience something new, such as meeting a new friend, or building a new relationship," he motions a hand between us, "there's a certain magic that happens. Don't you agree?"

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Now, I'm not talking about the magic that exists in fairy tales and fiction. I'm talking about the real magic that exists in our lives at this very moment. Real magic, or the excitement that life's mysteries bring us. New school. New home. New friends. Bringing new life into this world. All considered to be exciting experiences, yes?"

Sakura nodded again.

"So if magic exists only in the mystery. When the mystery is solved and gone. Then so is the magic."

She gives him a hard look. "So, what you're trying to say is that you won't tell me your name, because you want to keep this magic?"

His eyes gleamed in amusement. "In more words or less."

Sakura laughed. "You may be the strangest man, I've met yet. And I have met many men in my life." Her best friends. Her father. Her friends' boyfriends. The list goes on really.

This time he smirked, though there was something hard, almost a possessive look in his eyes when she mentioned the words 'men in her life'. "I see."

Then he moved to rest an arm over his seat and leaned forward until their faces were merely a foot apart.

She distanced herself, but was still affected by the sudden closeness. "It's still not fair. You know mine."

"Ah, that I do. I, however, do not know your full name."

"Like it matters." I scoffed.

"It matters to me." He said, his brow furrowed into a small frown.

She met his gaze, before she sighed in defeat. "Sakura Haruno." And she added for good measure. "Pleasure to meet you."

And with those words, she may as well have sealed her fate.

He held out a hand for her to take. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Haruno."

And when they're hands touched, a spark of energy passed through them which consumed them with warmth. The sudden feeling must have passed him too, for when she held his hand, his body tensed momentarily before slowly relaxing.

When they finally let go, his fingers still lingered over her knuckles before he withdrew completely. She turned away, feeling a blush form on her already blush- abused cheeks, warmth rising to her neck. Sakura tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear nervously and looked back at the clock. It was a quarter to midnight.

"Why are you here?" He suddenly asked. His arms were back on the table, hands folded against his lips as his dark eyes looked questioningly at her. There was a double meaning to his question, and he knew it.

"Me? Well, I'm here working, of course Uchiha-san."

He just gave a look that showed he was not impressed with her evasion.

She tried to feign confusion. "What else is there to know?"

"Everything." Her eyes widened, so he added. "Do you enjoy working here?"

She tapped her fingers nervously against the table. "... Most of the time yes."

His lips twitched but didn't further comment on it when he continued, "What are your plans after medical school?"

"Traveling. Maybe even settle down and have a family —What I don't understand is why it should matter to you?" She was becoming flustered by the Q &amp; A direction the conversation was taking.

He ignored her though. "Do you have any hobbies, fetishes? Do you play rugby?"

"What? Fetishes? Rugby? Really?" Sakura's voice may have or may have not rose an octave.

"Yes."

She blinked at him, "What I mean is that I don't know understand is why do you need to know. Or even want to for that matter. Like look at me." She scoffed at the last part.

His eyes became intense. "I am."

Sakura tried her hardest to look away before continuing her rant. "... My life is incredibly boring."

"Oh, I think there is more to be discovered there."

"There isn't much." Sakura insisted stubbornly.

He persisted. "Try me."

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

He waited.

She sighed. "I honestly would know where to start..."

He only smirked, "I have heard that the beginning is a good place.

"You can trust me, Sakura-san."

_Ha! He's a complete stranger for all I know._ She sat further back into seat and turned to the window, contemplating over his words. _Can_ she trust him? Or dear gods-_did_ she trust him already?

Surprisingly, that wasn't a difficult answer. She _did_ trust him.

When he first stepped through the door, she was wary of him. But as time passed, and the night grew older, she began to relax in his presence. As if she had known him not for just an hour, but for years. Maybe even for a lifetime.

_Another lifetime, _the unspoken thought rang. Sakura frowned.

Snow continued to fall in wispy flakes, almost out of a scene from a movie. The street lights cast shadows of lovers walking side by side against the snow. She could hear a faint cry of a child from outside followed by laughter.

"I moved to Konoha when I was five years old. My father's job called for him to move around. So we moved from place to place early on in my life. I remember living in Suna before moving to Konoha. The difference was major. People in Konoha were more carefree and lively in comparison to the distrustful people of Suna. That didn't mean people over here were any less cruel.

"I was bullied as a kid growing up, mostly about my hair and forehead." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, "It all ended though, when another girl in my grade stood up for me." Sakura smiled fondly at the memory of a small blonde girl pushing a boy into a rain puddle. "We have been best friends ever since.

"My friends," She smiled at the thought of them, "gosh they're something else. I remember one time when we were in middle school, Naruto thought it would be funny to put love notes in all the girl's lockers from our class, all signed by your brother. You can just imagine the entire outbreak of fangirls after one emotionally constipated boy. And that was just sixth grade —you can probably imagine the trouble we used to get into high school."

He chuckled. "I'm aware."

Then light in her eyes dimmed.

"We all went our separate ways once we left for college. Ino is studying to be a psychologist here at KU, and we have taken some classes together. Naruto is studying to become a politician like his father —he might not have the grades for it, but he definitely has the heart to accomplish anything he sets his mind on."

She hesitated before continuing on with his brother. "Sasuke... Well, I honestly don't know what he's doing. We just stopped talking a couple years ago. Did he ever tell you that I had a crush on him?"

His eyes lit up at this. "Oh? No, I believe he hasn't."

Sakura laughed uneasily. "Well, we did."

He mulled a bit over this new information before finally asking in his quiet baritone. "Did... Did he ever return the sentiments?"

She snorted. _What a loaded question. _"No. Gods no." She pretended to imagine the look of relief that flashed through his eyes before it vanished. "Actually, that's the whole reason why we sort of stopped talking now that I think about it... We may have went out for a bit after high school, but it was never serious to begin with. We were pushed —our mutual friends kept coupling us together from left and right. And as you can see... It didn't work out." She finished the last part rather bitterly.

"Did you love him?"

Her head snapped up at question. She sent him a hard gaze. "No."

There was a pregnant pause.

"So you became disillusioned." He said abruptly.

"Excuse me?" She started, a bit offended.

He explained. "After your first love failed, you were disillusioned with the whole idea of love or to love again, hence your dislike of this holiday." He gestured at the heart decorations, matter a factly.

Before she could defend herself, he continued, "Quite frankly, I don't see your reasoning. If what you said is true, and from what I know personally of my brother, you should never expected anything from him.

"You knew what you were getting into. You knew he did not see you the way you saw him, and probably never would," his words were cutting. "You were young and going through a stage where all young women fall in love with the idea of love."

He must have seen something in her eyes, because he stopped and his smile grew sad. "But you wanted him to be the one to love you."

"...Am I really that obvious?" She felt a couple stray tears leave trails on her face.

He turned away and remained quiet.

"Uchiha-san?" Sakura started hesitantly, once she wiped the few tears that had spilled.

He didn't answer, but she knew he was listening.

"Why are you here?" She finally questioned him with the same question he did earlier.

His dark eyes flashed back to her.

"I was on my way home—"

Sakura cut him off. "No. I mean, why are you here talking to me?"

He sighed, and suddenly he looked like he aged a decade before he very eyes. "The truth?"

She merely nodded, then spoke softly as if spoken for her ears only. "There's no other place I would rather be."

She blushed. What can she say to something like that? Then he held up the book she was reading earlier. Her eyes widened, panic evident in her expression. _I thought I put that away._

"Where did you find this?" He held the book with such familiarity.

"This old thing?" She cleared her throat and wiped all traces of sadness from her face. "Someone left it here at the diner sometime last week."

"Interesting..." She tried to catch his gaze but his eyes were turned away distant, deep in thought.

"Have you read it?" She asked him.

He started quietly, "It's dark now, and I'm very tired," he looked straight at her as he recited the lines from the book, word for word, in his velvety voice, "I love you, always. Time is nothing."

Sakura felt a blush crawl up her cheeks, "Impressive. Unless you just read the last page of the book."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I believe in the concept that love should have no boundaries. Henry's disorder enabled him to find love, and his bond with Claire grew only stronger because of it."

She just stared at him. Then it was her turn to shake her head in disbelief. She playfully poked his side. "You, Mr. Uchiha, are just full of surprises."

He chuckled as he handed over the book.

Then his eyes lit up. "I have something to show you."

"What? At this hour?" It's probably way past midnight now.

He ignored her and started shrugging on his jacket, foregoing the scarf and gloves as he stood.

"The night is still young," he glanced at the watch on his wrist. "And where we're going is open all day, everyday."

She hesitated, the mug held tightly winning her grasp like a lifeline. "I don't know..."

"Do you trust me?" There was a strange edge to his question. An almost — dare she say, desperate lilt to his voice.

And this time Sakura didn't hesitate to answer. "With my life." And she meant it.

He breathed in a sigh of relief and smiled. He held out a hand for her to take. "Then come with me."

Silence.

"Let me — let me just um—grab my coat then." She finally managed to croak out.

Two minutes later, she stood outside the diner with the Uchiha standing just a few feet away as she sent a text to her boss, and received a reply back to 'lock up the diner'.

"Ready?" He asked offering her his arm.

Sakura nodded and took the offered arm. They walked for maybe a block when she remembered something important she wanted to ask him.

"Hey, when were you going to mention that the sign was turned on the 'closed' side?" The Uchiha's face remained composed which made her suspicious.

"Right now?" He started innocently, but then then she saw the teasing smirk make an appearance.

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"'Read beneath the underneath', I have someone say. And besides, must there always be reason why things happen? It's like questioning why the world was created? Why the sky is blue? Or why there are birds that sing in the morning, and others that cry at night? There probably is a reason for all, we just don't it and probably never will. Can't we just accept and be glad that they exist?"

"Yes..."

He sent her a sidelong glance. "Then be glad that I decided to stop in today."

There was no more conversing after that. They walked for about five more minutes before he pulled to a stop.

They were in front of a soup kitchen.

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked, bewildered by scene of a little boy in rags walking pass them with a styrofoam cup filled with what smelled like hot chocolate.

"Why? Why not?" He smiled at the confused childlike expression on her face, "As I've said before, you're disillusioned with the idea that Valentine's is a holiday for idiots. However, just because the way some people spend this holiday is not to your liking, doesn't mean this is how everyone chooses to. All the homeless around Konoha City gather here at all hours of the day to pick up a meal."

"I see that, but why are we here?" She was pouting now

He smirked. "We're going to help serve these people."

There was no room for arguing because at that moment he pulled her along towards the entrance.

An hour later, after serving over a 100 plates of hot meals, they walked out the exit of the kitchen smelling like pasta and potatoes. Sakura felt overwhelmed with the feeling of accomplishment. No one could wipe the silly grin off her face even if they tried.

"See what giving food to the hungry can do to a person's esteem?" 'Uchiha-san' asked heartily.

She just laughed. "Yeah."

He smiled fondly at her. "Off to the next stop then."

He grabbed her by the hand this time, interlocking their fingers as he pulled them away to their next destination.

Ten minutes later they were in front of the local movie theater.

"A movie?" She thought out aloud.

"It's been awhile since I've seen a good film." He paused to read the show times and grinned when he spotted one that he liked. "Ah, a special screening of _30 Days of Night_. I have just read an article that says that horror movies are very good for the heart. This is perfect." He proclaimed as he pulled her along inside the hot theater.

"I'm easily frightened by scary movies." She voiced out meekly as he bought them their tickets at a discounted price.

He led her by the elbow towards the door. "Well then, Sakura, you're lucky that I'm not."

They were the only pair inside the theater room when the trailers started rolling.

The movie wasn't _terrible_. A bit gory at times, and just downright disgusting at others, but it was bearable. _Because Uchiha-san made it bearable._ He provided a critical eye to the flaws in the movie which would inturn made her laugh so hard, she spilled some of her drink on the floor.

When the credits started playing, Sakura was sniffling and wiping away tears from watching the movie's main protagonists, Evan and Stella, spent their first and last sunrise together. With the story ending, Stella holding a dying Evan in her arms.

Uchiha-san held the door for her as they walked out the lobby together.

"Definitely good for the heart." He stated softly. More snow had fallen since the start of the movie, painting the world outside a winter wonderland.

Sakura couldn't help but agree and smile. "You were right, again."

His lips twitched in amusement, before he offered her his hand again. This time she took it without question.

They wandered a bit, noticing how the streets were beginning to empty of people and shops closed late for the night. The cold air was nipping at their faces by the time when they walked past a park. Sakura rubbed her hands together to warm them up before finally just stuffing them into her pocket. He must have seen her doing this because the next thing she know, he had stepped in front of her.

"What's wrong—" he tugged his scarf loose around his neck and then wrapped it around her own. His fingers lingered like a shadow as he pushed her hair away for easy access. She was trying not to blush, and failing epically.

"Oh! You didn't have to do that Uchiha-san, I'm fine—" Sakura started to protest.

"You're right, I don't." He said firmly before tucking another loose strand of hair behind her ear in a familiar gesture. "But I wanted to."

They stood in companionable silence, the snow falling in small flakes against them.

He was the first one to break the silence?

"What are your greatest fears?"

He stares at her intently, waiting for an answer.

"I fear a lot of things," he nodded for her to continue, " but my greatest fear have always been of failing.

"I fear a day will come, when I'm needed, but I'll be insufficient to be of help. I won't be enough." She shook her head and laughed. "It's a silly fear."

He didn't laugh.

"Is that why you're afraid of loving someone, because you fear you won't be enough?" He asked quietly, so bluntly it still took Sakura a minute to understand what he had just asked her. Then he threw another curve ball at her that sent her spiraling down to earth.

"Not all men are my brother." She can read the unspoken 'I'm' in his eyes. "And I hope that one day," He looks away but Sakura manages to catch the pained expression on his face," one day you will find the right man who can prove it you." She stood frozen in place, and felt the burning of tears in her eyes. He hesitated a moment, but then his hand rose to wipe a stray tear that streaked down her cheek.

He gaze flickered down to her lips. She leaned in.

At that moment his phone vibrated from within his pocket. He dropped his hand from her face to retrieve it while Sakura took the momentary distraction to gather her thoughts, and cool the burning blush off her face. He turned off the alarm, and looked away into the distance.

"We should probably head back." He whispered finally. He walked ahead of her. Confused, Sakura followed a couple seconds later.

Once they stood in front of the diner, he spoke again.

"I would walk you to your car, but I have to make a quick run to library before it closes. That is what the alarm was for." He laughed sheepishly, though the amusement did not reach his eyes.

"Do you... Would you like a ride?" She found herself asking.

He didn't respond, but he did reach into his pocket and pulled out something. It was her book. "That's kind of you. But if you did, you wouldn't be able to read what I've written inside."

She made a reach for the book, but he held it up and chuckled at her expense.

"No fair." She pouted.

"Life isn't fair." He said it so seriously, so unlike the playful man whose company she has grown to enjoy, that she knew he believed it.

This time, when she noticed how close their faces were she did not step back, even though every fiber in her being demanded her go. Then he spoke.

"Tonight, I've made you laugh. I have made you cry. I gave you confidence, and I have helped you face some of your fears, with you.

She looked at him strangely when he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"All what any man should do for the woman he loves."

She froze, and when he finally looked at her, nothing mattered except that moment.

The back of his knuckles brushed against her cheek. His touch leaving a trail of fire in its path.

"I thought you said you weren't after my virtue..." She started lamely.

He smiled crookedly and whispered, his eyes never once leaving her lips. "Never stated I was.

"I would like to end this night with one more thing," his lips whispered against hers — a mere inch from her own, "but I fear you will run away."

Sakura swallowed nervously, "I won't."

He looked at her then — really looked at her, eyes searching for something. What, excavate she didn't know. But he have must have found it because not a second later did she feel his lips crash down onto hers.

Her hands trembled as they tangled in his hair, slim fingers dislodging the tie that kept the ebony strands bound.

She tasted him, as he too tasted her, not knowing if this would be only the first and last time that they did, wanting to memorize each other as much as possible.

She was breathless when he pulled away to place a chaste kiss on her temple. "To love, is an awfully big adventure. Promise me you will take a chance."

She could only nod dumbly at his request, which brought back the amused gleam in his gaze. He held out the book for her take.

"Read it in the morning."

He turned to walk away, back to her, and took a few steps before he stopped.

"To a happy life, Miss Haruno."

He waved, not once turning around. His shadow fading off in the distance, just as he did.

"... Thank you."

. . .

**Next morning**

. . .

The sun's rays bled through the curtains of her window of her two bedroom apartment. She laid in bed, gazed locked on the ceiling, lost in thought.

Sakura flipped through the pages back to the cover flap of the novel. There was a note that wasn't there before.

**Thank you for taking care of my book.**

Then she remembered.

"_Where did you find this?" He had asked as he held her worn copy of _The Time Traveler's Wife.

_"This old thing? Someone had left it at the diner sometime around last week."_

_"Interesting."_

She should have seen this from the start.

In the span of one night, he managed to decipher the secrets of her heart. He was attentive, kind, and gentle.

He showed her how it felt to be loved. And in return, she fell in love with him. And she didn't even have a name.

Then she remembered about the poem that had finished writing yesterday, and wondered if he had written it. She quickly flipped over to the flap where the poem on the next page. And under where she had written lines, two new lines existed.

The book fell out of her hands, landing face down onto the hardwood floor.

_He found me._

.

.

.

**Until next time, Sakura.**

**-Itachi U.**

* * *

**A/N: **This is repost of a story I had written a while ago. Originally a one-shot, inspired by the song Dear No One by the lovely Tori Kelly.

**Chapter Edited 11/17/2015**


	2. Part 2

_"I don't like red."_

.

_"You want to be a doctor, yet you're afraid of blood?"_

.

_"I can be a doctor that doesn't have to see blood."_

.

_"Red is the color of bravery, you know. And love."_

.

_"Love?"_

.

.

.

_Dear No One_

_._

_._

_._

Sakura woke up with a start from her dream, bleary eyes focused on the ceiling fan above her. She moaned frustration, and threw her head back haphazardly into the nest of pillows and sheets that she called her bed. A minute later, she lifted her head and looked around her messy room, her eyes falling dead onto the calendar near her desk. She frowned.

**May 15th**

_Three months..._

Three months of no contact and absolute silence.

She tried looking for him. But for some cosmic reason or divine interference, the Uchiha has all but disappeared from the face of this earth.

He never again visited the diner ― she knew this because she actually took the time _to look_, and even asked Karin of all if she had seen him. And because Sakura didn't believe one word from the snooty redhead, she worked doubles shifts for an entire week and visited on the weekends.

Sakura practically lived at the diner for those two lousy weeks, and for nothing!

_Is he busy?_ She wondered on the third day of her diner vigil.

On the fifth day it was, _Maybe he was caught up with work or something..._

Tenth day went like this, _Is he ignoring me...?_

And by the two week mark, _I hope he's alright_―

_Enough! _She slapped her hands over ears in an attempt to silence her wandering thoughts. No more will she torment herself over questions or illusions that in the long run will do her more harm than good. Other than the note in her book, there was never a direct request to meet again.

They held hands, a few stolen glances here and there. And they kissed.

_**Until next time, Sakura.**_

… Or at least, this is what she tried to convince herself.

Sakura knew deep down that the encounter was anything but ordinary. The kiss they shared branded her.

Once upon a time, she disliked the idea of romance and anything alike, but now she felt that they were destined to meet that.

_If the guy was interested, don't you think he would have at least left his number?_

_He said he wasn't like his brother..._

The familiar ache of disappointment was back. If she didn't know what love felt like before, she _definitely_ knew now.

Ignoring her troublesome thoughts, Sakura rubbed her temple in a soothing motion. She laid in her bed inside the apartment that she shared with Hinata and Ino. Instead of rooming in a dorm on campus, she and her friends looked up open apartments on the outskirts of the school. For convenience sake really; and because they did not want to deal with the _grossness_ that came with sharing bathrooms and lounges with 50 other people on a dormitory floor.

She huffed in annoyance at the stuffiness of her room, before she fixed the kink in her neck from laying in bed too long. Morale elevated, Sakura made an effort to sit up.

She turned to the time on her digital clock on her nightstand, nearly giving herself whiplash when her head whipped back for a second look. She jumped two feet in the air, right off the bed, into a fake battle stance. It's _9:39 __and class started at 10:00!_

Five minutes later, after she scrambled in the bathroom and pulled her hair to find an appropriate set of clothes, she was out the door into the muggy streets of Konoha U.

Sakura distinctly remembered setting her alarm for 8:00— two hours before her biology final was supposed to start. How in the world did I wake up and hour and a half later — SHUT UP! _STOP THINKING! Just get to class. _She skimmed over her notes as she raced to the biology building.

Making great time, Sakura sprinted to Alumni Hall when suddenly she came to an abrupt halt and saw the sidewalk closed off by a bunch of orange construction cones. She glanced back at her watch — 9:51

She would be cutting it close that day it seemed... Sakura turned the corner around Alumni Hall, and calculated an alternate route in her mind, her bag hitting her hip as she moved through the throngs of students who walked to their next class. Since her normal route was blocked for reconstruction, the only way she would make it is if she cuts through the law building. Which conveniently was right next to the Biology and Life Sciences.

Just as things were finally looking up for her, a couple meters to the exit, fate decided to once again laugh at her in the face when she ran straight into one mighty wall of muscle. _Hard_.

She managed to regain her balance at the last second, saving herself from plummeting face first to the floor. Cursing herself for not being more careful, she looked up with the full intention of apologizing to the poor soul who got in her way. However, the words died in her mouth before they were even uttered as she realized _who_ she ran into.

"Sasuke?" She ignored the voice in her head that pointed out she forewent the cheery 'Sasuke-kun' greeting.

Said brooding man grunted as he stood only a few feet away from her, in all his Uchiha glory. Dark hair gelled over in a pompadour look that spiked at the back; he was dressed in a dark tank that emphasized his toned arms and collarbone, with a pair of white board shorts and black Jordans adorning his feet.

Sakura suppressed the urge to turn tail, but relaxed. This meeting should be a walk in the park —_just two friends/ ex's bumping into each other for the first time in over a year._

She noticed that even his usually empty charcoal eyes hinted at surprise if the upturn of his brow was a giveaway — oh, then he _definitely_ must have noticed her lack of the affectionate honorific at the end of his name.

"Sakura," Sasuke nodded at her slightly, not once leaving her eyes. He had that annoying smirk on his face when she knew he was going to try to say something smart, "Haven't changed a bit, I see."

She hated being right. Sakura clicked her tongue and instantly retorted. "And you're still an _ass,_ as always._"_

"Hn..."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Jerk. No 'how are you?', or 'sorry for bumping into you?' — is this really all you have to say to me, after almost a year." Her eyes were playful, almost teasing. "What are you even doing here?" _Here in Konoha, not in Oto._

He purposely looked away from her to hide his sulking face. "I finished class yesterday. I made plans to meet someone here for breakfast."

She giggled at the look on his face. "Still don't like being kept waiting, ne Sasuke-kun?"

He rolled his eyes then he knelt down to retrieve the notebook which she had dropped in her haste. He sneered right back, "You should be more careful of your surroundings."

Too absorbed in her thoughts about the infuriating boy in front of her, she failed to see a dark haired man walking up to the tense pair.

Her inner voice was cracking imaginary knuckles as she fumed, _the nerve of him!_ "Listen here—" she poked his chest for good measure knowing he didn't like people touching him, "I'm late for class, and I wasn't really looking where I was going. And I'm sorry for running into you, but that doesn't mean you have to get all huffy and mighty with me because—" then a too familiar voice decided it to be the appropriate time to politely cut her off.

"Otouto. Already making friends I see..."

Itachi's voice trailed off as his dark eyes closed in on the strand of pink hair beneath the owner's nondescript beanie. Sakura's head whipped around towards him so fast, she didn't catch the put off look on her old friend's face.

And then for the first time in months, their eyes met.

It was as if time was suspended- unmoving, and the only beings in the room were them. Flashbacks of smiles, parting words and a stolen kiss replayed through both their minds.

He cut his hair, just above his collar, with most of his still too, long bangs swept back like he ran his hand through it multiple times. He wore a red button up, opened enough to see the contours of his collarbone and a strange necklace adorning him. His sleeves were rolled up just above the elbow, and his shirt half untucked in dark fitted pants and suede boots. He looked casual, wearing his messenger bag ceremoniously over his shoulder. The man _literally_ strutted in like a model straight off the runway, three months since his absence.

He may have looked different, she surmised, but the same stress lines that marked his face were still visible if not more noticeable. The same dark eyes that she thought always glinted from either amusement or curiosity, looked at her intently now, and she couldn't help but feel a strange warmth sending pleasant currents down her body.

_He's here._ Her heart soared.

But the feeling was gone the moment she remembered. And for the first time since meeting him, an unknown sadness and bout of anger started to fester deep within her.

_He's here. After 3 months of nothing._

Itachi's cleared his throat, drawing his attention to the scowling figure of his brother. There was a sharp edge to his voice that sent forbidding shivers down her spine.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Sasuke, who just looked curiously between the two of them, shook his head. "Tch... We're done here."

And before Sakura could even react, Sasuke stepped forward to lean over shoulder as if to whisper something in her ear. She didn't see that when Sasuke invaded of her personal space, his brother tensed beside her.

"We'll talk later." Sasuke just whispered. There was a strange glint in his eye when he said the word 'talk', which made her lift up her brow at him questioningly.

But he didn't elaborate, instead Sasuke threw a subtle glance from the corner of eyes, to gauge his brother's reaction. Finding what he had been looking for, he smirked before finally being on his merry way in that familiar yet annoying swagger of his. Itachi frowned when he saw Sasuke purposely station himself by the doors in order to catch their interaction through the clear glass.

_And then there were two. _

They just stood there, drinking each other in, test and breakfast lost and forgotten in the moment. A million and one questions raced through her mind, but before she could even think of asking the most important one, _he_ spoke in that deep voice of his.

"If my brother is not known for his astuteness, then it's for his bad manners. I apologize on his behalf." His voice, she noticed, was void of it's gentle tenor; his eyes were missing it's familiar warmth. He was... cold. Just the way one would speak to a complete stranger. _Was he acting like he didn't know her...?_

Instantly her face darkened.

He must of noticed the expression on her face because his brow furrowed, revealing a tinge of concern. But it wasn't enough. "Are you alr-"

The slap across his face resounded loudly through the quiet hall, stopping him from speaking further. The sound which turned a few heads of onlookers.

Jaw clenched, Itachi turned to look at her -his steely eyes met her blazing ones. Anger and repressed tears that threatening to spill any moment now.

"You disappeared." She whispered, because breathing was becoming difficult by the second, and if she spoke any louder she was sure to break."_Why_?"

Itachi just looked at her, eyes boring into her turbulent green ones unflinchingly. _Why are you looking at me like that? _Inside she just wanted to scream. "I think you are mistaking me for someone el-"

"_Shut up_!" She snapped, quickly looking down at their feet, refusing to meet the blankness she knew she would find if she looked at him.

He closed his mouth into a grim line.

She stuttered. "D-did that night mean nothing to you?" _Was everything you said just lies_, is what she meant to say. And based off the soft gasps that rang amongst the small audience of three that had formed at the entrance, people right away began to assume the worst.

'_Did she sleep with him?' 'Did he cheat on her?' _And Sasuke couldn't help from frown at what he was hearing, wondering what exactly happened between them.

A pregnant pause followed after her admission. He said nothing, and looked like he wasn't going to talk. Heart plummeting she took his silence as the answer she needed, but did not want to hear. She took a step back from him, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"You know what? Fine." Her voice sounded clogged, as she tried to swallow back the vile threatening to leave her throat.

She forced herself to speak. "I get it." _She really didn't._ "It was one time deal."

Sakura wiped the lone tear that managed to escape her notice, at the same time she hastily rummaged through her bag and took out a familiar worn book that she always carried since that cold night in February.

Sakura then witnessed the moment when the man's cold facade began to crack, but in her stubbornness and heartache, she forced herself to look down again for the task at hand. She grabbed his hand, ignoring the spark that went up her arm when his skin touched hers, and placed the book in his palm, folding his fingers around it in a tight grip. Bravely, she then looked up to meet his penetrating gaze, as she tried to cover up the anguish that she truly felt. "This belongs to you."

Another flicker of emotion, something she could distinguish as alarm and maybe regret, but she refused to think anything of it as she turned and determinedly walked fast to the doors.

"Sakura—"

She ignored Sasuke as she passed him. She ignored his calls when she was outside. By the time she reached a busy intersection, she turned the corner and ran.

And ran. And ran.

She ran until all she could feel was the burning of her muscles, her lungs begging for air. She ran all the way to her apartment.

_I'll just have to make up the test tomorrow_, she thought. _Professor Shizune will understand._

It was only when she was inside the confines of her room, behind her closed door that she slid to ground, and let herself cry. Two words repeating over and over.

_Not again._

. . .

"Don't you think you may have over reacted?"

It was Friday, two days after the law building incident, and Sakura bristled from her seat on her bed. _WHY IS SHE DEFENDING HIM? I WAS THE ONE WRONGED HERE?_

"I think I was justified in my actions." Sakura replied curtly.

Ino scoffed from the floor where she sat on a neon green beanbag. "Yeah, because slapping someone in the face is _always_ justified."

Sakura slammed her fist against her pillow creating a loud thump that stayed suspended in the air. She closed her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing. "He stopped coming to the diner, Pig. He _refused _to acknowledge me in front of his brother. He _looked_ at me, and pretended he didn't know me —if those aren't signs of being played, or not interested then I don't know what is."

Ino tutted. "Ever wondered if he had his reasons, Forehead? He could've just not wanted Sasuke hounding him for getting-it-up-on his ex." Sakura threw her a murderous glare before Ino threw in, "Kidding. But you know how Sasuke can get —plus didn't you mention before that Itachi was a grad student going for his masters or something. I wouldn't be surprised if he was busy with that or something!"

Not in the mood to argue, Sakura just sighed dejectedly, "Can we drop this?"

Ino frowned but conceited to her friend's request. "Fine. So what are your plans this summer?" Sakura watched as her friend's eyes lit up, "I know you mentioned you're visiting your parents for a couple weeks, but I was wondering if you would want to spend the rest of it up at my family's beach house. Sai is coming, and I think Hinata would join if Naruto..."

Ino's bubbly voice became just a hum in the background, as another voice took over in her mind.

'_To love, is an awfully big adventure. Promise me you will take a chance?'_

She shook her head sadly.

If love was just a shout into a great abyss, with no sound but her echo... then she didn't want it.

She was done.

. . .

A few hours later, Sakura received a call. Eyes glued to the name blinking on her screen that asked to 'accept call', she reluctantly pressed for green

"Hello?" she greeted in a sing-song voice, trying to sound nonchalant as much as possible.

_"You know, for someone so noticeable in a crowd, you're a very hard person to get hold of." _Intoned a familiar flat tone.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "Nice of you to call, Sasuke-_kun_."

_"Hn."_

When she realized that was all he was going to say, she asked politely. "What can I do for you?"

There was a short pause before she heard the tell-tale 'tch'. "_So you and aniki." _Instantly her body tensed."_When did that happen?"_

She noticed he didn't sound mad, just curious if anything which made her all the more weary. A curious Sasuke, is a dangerous Sasuke, if past experiences told her anything.

"... Nothing happened per se." _BULL SHIT, if you call an almost-confession and a kiss nothing._ "It was just all one big," _HUGE_, "misunderstanding from a while back. Nothing to worry about."

This time the pause was longer. Neither wanted to be the first one to cut the silence, so it surprised her more when it was Sasuke who finally broke it. "_Itachi used to wait for me after school so we can walk home together."_

Sakura frowned, not understanding the direction this conversation was taking, but decided not to comment on it yet until he finished. Sasuke was never the talkative type when they were in high school or when they were dating, so the fact he had something to say made her slightly curious.

_"My school, although close to his, was in the opposite direction from where we lived. So it would make sense for him to walk straight home after school. _

"_Even so... everyday without fail Itachi would be out there by the school gate, waiting for me. One day, I asked him why he kept doing it. He just laughed at me, poked me in the head, and told me he would tell me another time. He still hasn't told me now that I think about it..._

Sakura giggled as she imagined a chibi Sasuke being poked, but quieted when she realized he was waiting for her to finish. After a quick apology, he continued.

_"When Itachi started high school, things... Things changed. His new school was in the outskirts of city, so he had to take a bus to and from there. We each had our own friends, our own lives ahead of us. So spending time with one another, like our walks home, became far in between._

_"The 'Itachi' I once knew, the one who promised to always be there for me, became this stranger. He was always gone, or too busy to pay attention to his 'little otouto' anymore. And for while, I think hated him for it. I still do sometimes."_

Another pause.

"Why... Why are you telling me this?" She finally asked quietly.

_"The thing most people don't know about my family, is that as much hate tends to run in it —So does love. Because no one treasures love, so strongly, as much as the Uchiha. Or so, my mother tells me._

And finally, it seemed like Sasuke was going to address the elephant in the room that had taken over since the days they broke up. Sakura swallowed in anticipation and dread.

_"Things didn't work out for us in the past. And I have not treated you with the respect you deserve. With that said, if you are willing, I promise to try things differently..."_

Vile and panic started to set in her features. _No! No! _He can't be asking her what she think he's asking—not when she has moved on a.

_"... As friends." _And just like that, with those two words everything was alright again between them. All the she was worrying about vanished from her mind. And Sakura couldn't help but let the heavy sigh of relief leave her lips, until a genuine smile started forming. Leave it to Sasuke to draw the suspense in such a dramatic way.

"Sure, Sasuke-kun." Her smile on her face grew wider if it were possible. "The bestest of friends." And she meant it.

_"Hn. Good."_ He cleared his throat trying to sound nonchalant, but she could almost imagine him, sitting in his room holding up his phone to his ear, lips twisted into the patented smirk he's known for. Too bad he ruined the moment with the next words out of his mouth. _"Now, tell what really happened between you and Itachi?"_

Instantly the tension returned into her small frame. She sighed in exhaustion. "There is nothing to tell. What happened," _what could have been_, "is irrelevant. Why do you keep asking?"

_"Itachi's been angsting more than usual... And it's been getting annoying having him here around the house."_ He sounded disgruntled. She could hear the pout in his voice, an image which made her want to laugh, had she not caught the unspoken accusation in his voice. _He thinks it your fault._

This time, she did laugh, her voice cracking at the end when she felt the pang of hope in her heart. "You're one to talk, Sasuke-kun —someone like you, who has brooded since the day he was born." She tried redirecting the conversation, hoping he would take the hint.

However, he didn't take the bait. And he didn't laugh or chuckle like she wanted him to. _"This is serious, Sakura."_

_Well, better he hear it from the source, than other people._ So with renewed confidence, she told him. "He may, or he may have not confessed to," _loving _"... liking me, last February during my night shift."

Static. Then a bit of muffled movement before the other line cleared.

_"And what did you say?"_ There was no change in his voice, no infliction, so she took that as a good sign to continue. _Was she actually talking about this with her ex? _She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry.

"I didn't." Her voice sounded weak at the end, almost like she was answering her own question rather than Sasuke's. "Well, I haven't met him until that night, so it would have seemed weird to just suddenly. . . return the feelings? Don't you think?" Even though that is exactly what happened. She fell in love with him. She fell in love with the crinkle of his eyes when he laughed, the sound which became music to her ears.

She fell in love with small smile that never failed to make her feel special whenever he looked at her. He made her laugh, he made her think, but most of all he made her FEEL. Something entirely unknown to what she felt towards Sasuke when she was 'in love' with him.

And he made her hurt, because just the thought of never seeing him, never hearing that deep timbre of his voice...

She might as well start wearing a sign that proclaim to the world: 'I love Uchiha Itachi!' Capital letters, double exclamation points, and an actual heart in place of the word.

She heard Sasuke huff in annoyance. Then suddenly, what he said next were the four words that once upon a time, had broken her heart. _"You are an idiot."_

She almost choked on her sudden intake of air. "Excuse me?"

_"I said you're an idiot."_

Sakura saw red.

"That's what I thought you said," she said in that sickly sweet voice that would sent Naruto running up the hills. Suddenly, she grabbed the microphone thrown haphazardly by the karaoke machine, which Ino just installed the other day, and turned it on. Then she proceeded to shove it close to the speaker embedded into her phone, with a hard thump from both colliding. The loud shriek from the resounding frequencies that followed should have hurt her ears, but did nothing with how angry she was. And in the midst of Sasuke's loud cursing, her voice rose. "What the _hell_, Sasuke!?"

_"What the _fuck _did you just do!?" _His voice muffled and distant, probably from ripping the device away from his ear when the sound started.

He was pissed. _Good._ A pissed Sasuke was much easier to handle than a civil Sasuke. She growled into the speaker."I applied physics! Now tell me why the fuck you just called me an idiot, asshole!"

_"I don't know who who the fuck lied and told you, you should become a doctor for your bedside manner but—"_

She cut him off though. "Cut with the crap, Sasuke-kun. Now tell me what you meant!" Sakura roared internally. _SHANNARO!_

_"Fine! You're an idiot," _He must have heard her hiss for he corrected himself right away, _"... I mean wrong, if you honestly believe that that was the first time you've met."_

The fire left her just as quickly as it came. She fell silent. "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

_"Itachi... is not the type to just pursue women on a whim." _She thought she caught a bit of disgust in his voice. Probably not comfortable speaking about about his brother's love life, she thought with an evil smirk. _"No. So he must have met you before, somewhere to have become curious of you." _Then he must have remembered something. _"Do you remember the trips we used to take to the zoo or the movies with the dobe, when we were younger?"_

She scoffed petulantly. "Yes —and what have I told you about calling Naruto dobe, you ass—"

Sasuke ignored her though. _"Shut up! Do you remember who usually was forced to drive us to these places, when none of our parents could?"_

Realization hit her like a ton of bricks as she conjured an image of a much younger Itachi mirroring his older counterpart.

"_That_ was your aniki?" She sounded so shocked, Sasuke couldn't help but curse at her ignorance.

_"No, it was my crazy uncle who escaped from prison —of course it was my brother, dumbass!" _Sasuke sneered, annoyance coloring his tone. _"Who else lived to annoy me other than you and the Dobe?!"_

Sakura overlooked the 'dumbass' remark, getting sidetracked with few select words that seemed to register before others. "Madara escaped prison again?"

_"No, he's still in there." _Pause_. "Wait! No! Is this really all you caught from this?" _He asked incredulously. Sakura sweared she could hear Sasuke growling in frustration from his side of the line.

"No! Of course not! Your uncle is a genius, albeit a crazy genius, but a genius nonetheless. And I'm just huge fan of the way he turns into this crazed, raging—"

"_Stop. Stop right there." _After taking a moment to steady his erratic breathing, and simmer his emotions, Sasuke's voice sounded much calmer than how it was a few minutes ago. _"Let me rephrase. Are you absolutely sure, you haven't met Itachi before? I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if you both bumped into each other," _Sakura snickered, remembering that she was the one to bump into Sasuke. He ignored it though, "_since we've lived in the same neighborhood for years, and considering how small it is."_

Sakura bit her lip. She was getting fed up with the questions by Sasuke and tired of hearing him talk about his brother. So without remorse, she fired back instantly. "If I had, then don't you think I would have remembered already, bastard..."

"_Beats me. Sometimes I wonder how much of it is only air in that balloon-head of yours."_

_Why that little-!_ Preparing to defend her honor, with a few insults of her own towards the infuriating man, she was suddenly overwhelmed with hazy images, faint memories of red balloons, a park bench, and a strange boy explaining her 4 maybe 5 year old self, about the intricacies of love and magic.

Her eyes widened as she was forced to let the memory unfold...

_**Tearful green eyes watched as her balloon soared above the blue sky.**_

_**After dinner, her mommy promised her that she could go outside and play with her new balloon at the park, while she cleaned up the dishes. Sakura, always hyped for the chance to play outside, was running out the house the minute she finished and before her mommy could call out to her to 'Be careful!'**_

_**And not even fifteen minutes that she has been playing with her balloon, did a gust of wind decide it the appropriate time to pass through. The green balloon slipped out of her grip, and now, Sakura watched mournfully as her beloved green balloon blew away from.**_

_**Again.**_

_**She loved balloons. She loved watching the store clerk inflate them using a tank full of powerful wind that, and made it float once the air was locked in. **_

_**Remembering this, and seeing her beloved green balloon fly away from her only made Sakura want to cry even more. All her other balloons before this one, have left her. So she couldn't help but wonder miserably if there was reason why? Was something wrong with her?**_

_**Too absorbed in her thoughts as she sat on the bench sniffling, she failed to notice as soft footsteps approached her.**_

_**"You can have this one, if you'd like."**_

_**Startled, the pinkette lifted her tear stained face up towards the voice. Her green eyes met concerned, dark ones of an older boy with too dark hair and premature lines of age on his face. He was wearing a school uniform, on his way home from class probably. In his right hand, he held a red balloon.**_

_**Sakura's face wrinkled in clear distaste and looked away. "I don't like red."**_

_**Then her eyes traveled back into the sky, her green balloon already a small dot, ignoring the quiet boy with the red balloon.**_

_**She heard him sigh, just before taking a seat right beside her. "I apologize. This was the only one left at the stand," the corner of his lip lifted into an easy smile. "Why don't you like red, if I may ask?"**_

_**"It's the color of blood," she said, making another face. "And I don't like blood! It makes my tummy feel sick... especially when I get an owie and my mommy has to fix it―"her eyes, then lit up at the mention of her mom, and smiled a smile that showed off her dimples, "my mommy is amazing! She's a doctor! I want to be just like her one day! "**_

_**The boy frowned, though mirth reflected off in his eyes. "You want to be a doctor, yet you're afraid of blood?"**_

_**Her feet stopped swinging, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at the boy next to her. Then she said matter a factly,"I can be a doctor that doesn't have to see blood!"**_

_**"Ah. Of course, my apologies," he pacified, as he hummed thoughtfully under his breath.**_

_**Ignoring the boy next to her, she continued to pout at the loss of her balloon.**_

_**"Red the color of bravery, you know," the boy spoke suddenly a moment later making Sakura look at him again. "And love."**_

_**"Love?" Her brow furrowed into an adorable frown as she looked up at him curiously. She heard the word many times. Her mommy always told her she 'loved her' right before bedtime every night. "What is it?"**_

_**He tapped a finger against his chin. "Well, love is a special thing. It's this feeling you get when you see something... or someone that makes you happy. Someone that makes you feel safe."**_

_**Sakura was staring at the boy intently now.**_

_**"You love someone when you care about them, and you care for that person's happiness so much to put it above your own. It's the kind of love that you would feel towards someone special or your family, like the bond between siblings for example.**_

_**"Oh!" Sakura perked up at this, and slowly if not hesitantly, took the offered balloon in her hand. She wiped away any stray tears off her face. "My mommy and daddy love me," she exclaimed proudly. "And I love them with all my heart!"**_

_**His eyes softened at the sight. "I love my family very much too."**_

_**They just sat there, both reveling in the in the quiet of the park.**_

_**"Do you like balloons?" She asked suddenly. Maybe the boy loved balloons like she did, she thought.**_

_**He smiled sheepishly at being caught. "I actually got this for my little otouto. He's around your age."**_

"_**Oh." Her head tilted in disappointment. "Do I know him?"**_

_**The boy chuckled. "I would hope not. Even though he's quite gentle for his age, his glares can be awfully terrifying if you're not prepared for them."**_

_**Sakura giggled maybe a bit too hardly. So when she felt her grip on her new balloon loosen, she made a hasty reach for it before it could slip away. But this time, the boy's hand caught it before it could.**_

_**"Here." He said as he stood up to kneel before her. He held up one end of the curling ribbon tied to the balloon, then proceeded to tie it around her middle and pointer fingers. Tight enough not to loosen, but loose enough not to be tight on her finger.**_

_**Trying out whether the balloon will escape her, she beamed up at him, eyes glistening with admiration and gratitude. "Thank you, stranger-san!" Her legs swinging happily at her feet.**_

_**The boy shook his head in disbelief at the simplicity the girl was easily placated, a crooked smile on his face that manifested in the time since he had approached her. "You're welcome." He replied sincerely.**_

_**He then proceeded to lift his hand to flicked her softly forehead in an affectionate manner. Ready to yell at the boy for being mean, she paused to look at him. And when she saw the warm expression on the boy's face, instead of the evil smiles she was used to on her classmates, she knew he didn't mean to make fun of her like the kids in her class. She felt almost safe... with him.**_

_**And that's not all she was feeling. Her chest and her stomach felt funny, like it was going to explode any minute from how happy she was.**_

**Her balloon will never leave her! And all because of stranger-san!** _**she thought.**_

_**Her feet then stopped, as her mind tried to piece together what she felt to what the strange boy told her. Is this what stranger-san meant when you love someone… **_

_**She stuck her small hand out at him timidly, a small smile curving at her cheeks. "I'm Sakura."**_

_**He turned to her, his large hand took her small one into his m, and he sent her a dazzling smile which made her rosy cheeks redden further, and her little heart beat a little faster. He has a pretty smile, she thought.**_

_**"**_**Itachi**_**."**_

_Itachi._

And just like that, a floodgate of different moments and questionable instances in her short life replayed. Memories that she thought to be long forgotten or lost.

The time when she was 16, she ran track on her high school team. She forgot to eat breakfast one morning and had been a force to be reckoned with to the chagrin of Naruto, who got the brunt of her anger on that day. It was then right after practice that she found a ripe, green apple sitting on top of her of school bag where she left it, leaning against the fence with the other students. She looked around only to find Sasuke leaving practice with an older man with dark hair and a gentle smile. Thinking it was Sasuke who left it for her, she thanked him the next day to only to be on the receiving end of one of his scary glares.

Then there was this one day, Sasuke's parents finally let him borrow the car only for it to start storming on their way from the beach. Sakura hadn't thought of bringing a jacket, thinking it was too humid to wear one, but she regretted it though the moment she was sitting in the backseat of the BMW, freezing to death in her wet towel. Naruto, in his haste to remove his muddy sandals before being yelled at, almost stepped on a black hoodie with a red cloud insignia and the name 'Uchiha' printed on the back of it. Thinking that it was Sasuke's, and not caring that he would be upset at her for borrowing it and not asking for permission, she wore it. Back at the Uchiha residence, changed and dry, she walked to the door to leave for home. She found the sweater from earlier folded next to her tote bag with a note taped to it: 'Keep it'.

So she did.

When Naruto asked her about the sweater the next day, over a plate of ramen, her reply had been that 'It's comfy' -―and she did not notice the disgruntled frown on her dark haired friend's face.

Each time she visited Sasuke, at his house, she and Naruto would hungrily eat onigiri off the plate left on the table for others to eat. She did not realize that the times _she _was around, there would be a fresh batch made that day. Sasuke, she remembered, commented that his mom didn't make them.

And finally, the day graduation rolled around for the dynamic trio and their classmates. It was the day she had always dreamed about— the day, Sasuke would finaly ask her out.

Hours earlier, while she cleared her locker prior to the commencement of the ceremony, a pink flower with lushly petals that circled the centered like a kaleidoscope was stuck within the vents of the door with great care. It was probably the most fragile, yet beautiful thing she's ever seen —and someone had been thoughtful enough to give it to her.

She remembered walking back to the auditorium, flower in her hand and pressed lightly to her nose, with a soft smile on her face. It was then, right after her class received their diplomas and caps were thrown the air, that Sasuke approached her with his request —_more like demand,_ to go out with him that Friday to see a movie. Hand and in hand, with the boy she thought that she 'loved', they walked towards the direction of their awaiting families.

She didn't take notice of the hard stare that followed them. But she _felt_ it, and she could never forget it.

Later in the day, Sakura remembered stepping out of the Uchiha's home, into the deck area for a breather and reminisced her years in high school. Too absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the white flower sitting innocently on the railing until her arm almost brushed it off the balcony. When she picked it up and instantly, almost knowingly, felt that the flower was for her.

Fairy-like, consisting of five united petals in white, this flower was delicate —more so than the one previous that she received. An air of melancholy, and lament surrounded this flower. She remembered wondering if the same person who sent her the pink one, also sent her this one.

Then suddenly Sakura's mind took another turn down memory lane, as she remembered a distinct conversation between her and Ino a while back. A week after she and Sasuke broke up —that day, she and her friends moved into their new apartment. Ino was being extra noisy that day, and had been looking through her belongings like they were hers to begin with...

"_**Oooh, what are these?" Ino asked, sounding like she had just hit the jackpot.**_

_**"What did you find now, Ino-Pig?" Even though she meant to sound flippant, Sakura's voice came out more snippy than usual.**_

_**Not at all bothered by her tone, Ino replied excitedly. "This!" And she showed her a book opened to where two pressed flowers marked its place. Sakura frowned. She forgot about them, but did not like her friend flaunting her personal items.**_

_**Snatching the book away from her friend, Sakura closed it delicately, making sure there were no damage or creases on the flowers. "They were a gift." She answered in a clipped tone, pink suddenly tinting her cheeks.**_

_**Noting the blush and the tension in her friend's shoulders, Ino smirked mischievously. "A gift you say? From who?"**_

_**Sakura frowned. "I don't know actually. I never found out."**_

_**The blonde's face dropped, but not deterred. "Oh! Do you at least know what they mean?"**_

_**Sakura shook her head, confused. "What? No-"**_

_**Ino was up and standing now, hands on her hips, staring down her friend with a look of pure horror written on her face. "You mean, you **_**received** _**flowers from a secret **_**admirer**_**, and you NEVER bothered to figure out what they meant?!" She sounded scandalous, almost as if what Sakura did was some heinous crime.**_

_**Sakura scoffed, and almost laughed at her friend's dramatic behavior."Oh, come on —How do figure they were from an admirer, anyway?"**_

_**Ino's jaw dropped. "Flower gifting is poetry—the ultimate language of love!" She then proceeded to send Sakura a look that said 'everyone knows this'. "Each flower has a meaning, and each occasion calls for a new message." Then suddenly her face lit up. "Here, I'll show you!"**_

_**Ino grabbed the book away from Sakura, to her friend's protest, then gingerly took out both dried flowers to inspect them. Looking at the light brownish, red one first, Ino began. "I assume, this one used to be pink at some point, yes?"**_

_**Sakura resigned, nodded minutely.**_

_**So Ino continued. "Well, this one is a camellia —usually given as a gift, to represent longing. A strong desire for something distant, or unattainable..." She paused. "So whoever gave this to you, has probably liked you for a very long time, and just didn't have the courage to talk to you before." Ino's voice trailed off before suddenly letting out a loud and piercing squeal of delight. "OH, how romantic!"**_

_**Rubbing her ears, regretfully, Sakura crossed her arms and glared indignantly at her friend. "I still don't think the person who gave them to me, meant to send me a message. They might have just thought they were pretty or something — and even if they did mean something by it, it's been months now and I don't think —"**_

_**Ino cut her off though, still giddy from her findings. "Ah, and this one! Okay- white, five petals, white center..." Ino murmured in a jumble of words, trying to describe and figure out what kind of flower it was. Then suddenly she became silent. A good minute later, with a confused frown, Ino slowly looked up to meet Sakura's gaze, whose eyes were now hidden with worry. "This is a cyclamen, also known as the flower of goodbye, and resignation..."**_

_**Sakura's widened in surprise, her voice now lowered an octave. "What?"**_

_**Still frowning, Ino explained. "Whoever gave you this flower... They gave up-Hence the goodbye part." Another pause, then. "Well this sucks. How long ago did you get them, again?" She sounded like a pouty child, who had their candy taken away.**_

_**Shaking herself from the perplexing revelation, Sakura replied. "Graduation day."**_

_**Ino shook her head. "No, I meant how far apart did you receive them. Like did you get one, one day, and the other, another day?"**_

_**Sakura's face became oddly blank,"I got them both on the same day, actually..."**_

The memory faded.

_The same day Sasuke finally asked her out..._

_The same day his brother went oddly missing from all the festivities._

Suddenly the flowers, the food, and everything else started to fall into place.

_Oh, Dear God._

"Sasuke? Listen, I have to go." Her breathing was coming in heavy pants as she was moving around her room like a storm. Packing, and rummaging around her clothes for the keys to her red little, pick-up truck.

_"What?" _He asked confused.

Toppling her piles of favorite novels, until she found the one she last remembered hiding the pressed flowers. She slipped the book into her purse and slipped through the front door.

"I have to leave." She said through clenched teeth, keychain in her mouth, a bag and suitcase in her arms. Adjusting her luggage so she could carry one bag over the suitcase with wheels, she pulled, and balanced her phone against her neck, keys tightly in her grip as she walked down the hall towards the parking garage.

_"What? What do you mean? Go where?" _He sounded annoyed through the speaker.

Sakura was breathless once she was down the stairs walking to her parked truck. "I'm driving home — I'll be there in maybe one —two hours, tops."

There was pause. _"We still haven't finished talking about this—"_

"I know we haven't. And we will! But sometimes..." her eyes softened as she remembered dark eyes, looking intently on her as she explained her reasons why she wanted to be a doctor. "Sometimes other things should be prioritized over others. And this is just one of those things, Sasuke."

Sasuke huffed in indignation, but sighed in agreement. _"Fine, I'll let you go—on one condition."_

"What?" She said as she heaved her luggage into the back of her truck. All the while, cursing Ino for not being there to help her and praying that it wouldn't rain on the way home.

_"You better not hurt my brother." _And before she could cut him off, he continued in his no nonsense tone. _"I'm not finished yet —because if you do manage do, I _will _declare vengeance."_

He's serious, she thought. She swallowed inaudibly.

"I won't." She murmured at last. And she meant it.

_"Good." _He didn't have to sound so smug though, she thought. _"He's coming home this weekend. So I expect to see you at dinner on Saturday. Seven o'clock—don't be late."_

Now tucked in the driver's seat of the hot cab, and after she winded down her window for some air, she couldn't help but laugh at Sasuke's nerve. "So confident, you think you'll be seeing me at dinner Sasuke-kun?"

He snorted. _"No, not all. Even if nothing happens between you and Itachi, I will at least get the satisfaction of seeing someone else on the end of my aniki's glare."_

Flinching at the image of Itachi glaring at her, she wished she had Sasuke within pounding distance. Keys in the ignition, and the truck's engine now minimized to a soft hum in the background, she replied in a flat tone. "Love you too, Sasuke."

She heard her friend chuckle. _"Just get going. And don't screw this up."_

The bastard hung up before she could even give him a piece of her mind. With the sleeve of her thin henley, she wiped away the perspiration from her temples. She sighed, taking in a huge breath of air before releasing it. Remembering the pressed flowers, her soft gaze landed on her purse to pull out the book.

_You're a good brother, Sasuke._

Slowly, she retracted her arm, and held her worn copy of _The Secret Garden_ with two hands, as if one wrong move will hurt the flowers within. But when she opened it, instead of seeing two crinkled flowers like she was expecting, a receipt from the local drug store for tampons glared right back at her. Panicking she went through her purse, thinking they must have slipped out. When she found nothing, she was ready to stomp out and throw everything out of her truck when suddenly a thought came to her.

She had taken out the flowers a month ago, and used them as a bookmark for her favorite book. Her favorite book then, had been _The Time Traveler's Wife, _andthe only copy she owned was the worn, torn copy she found in the diner. T

The same book that had belonged to Itachi.

_. . . The same book she returned to him, two days ago!_

Sakura heard, rather than felt, when her head thumped against the steering wheel.

_Fucking A... Just what I need. Now he's going to think I want _nothing _to do with him._

Then suddenly she remembered something.

_'Flower gifting is poetry—the ultimate language of love! Each flower has a meaning, and each occasion calls for a new message.'_

_Righ__t__! _

She shifted the gear from park to drive and Sakura pulled out from the garage ― head up high, with a look of determination on her face. Only one thought in her mind.

She had a message to write.

.

.

.

* * *

**A/N: **So I decided to continue it. One more update after this.

**(Edited 11/18/2015)**


	3. Part 3

_Dear No One_

.

.

.

He sat on the bench where everything started.

Itachi slumped back against the hard, aged wood, deep in thought.

How many times had he walked by this park bench when he was a boy?

Too many, and always in the company of his little brother. However, the one time he recalled walking home without his little shadow following him, it was the first time he come across something ― _someone_, that confused him.

A walking contradiction. The girl with pink hair and turbulent, green eyes.

_Sakura Haruno._

Never in his life had he seen something so bright, so fragile, yet so _alive _in the form a tiny girl.

_She had pink hair for goodness sake! _A huge change from the dull mops of brown, black, blonde, and the occasional redhead that colored his almost dull world. When he got a good look at her and tried _helping_ the poor girl, she was anything but happy.

She had been crying over a balloon that she lost, of all things to cry about.

Coincidentally, he had bought a balloon with the intention of giving it to his ailing brother, but because of the good manners bestowed to him by his mother (and his conscious that wouldn't let him sleep well at night if he didn't) Itachi offered the girl his balloon.

He would learn that day, that even the best intentions can be the most ill received.

The girl had all but snubbed him, not happy that he did not have her favorite color. _So she was not as fragile as he thought she was. _Not one to be easily deterred, he sat with the strange girl anyway. And the more she talked, the more he wanted to listen to her.

It had been his curiosity, to understand what made the girl act so shrewdly, that drew him in. He continued to observe her from afar, and came to appreciate the positive influence her presence became in his brother's life. Not before long, this stirring curiosity, turned into an everyday obession.

He learned what made her laugh, what made her cry. He learned what frightened her and learned what made her frustrated —to the point that nasty temper of hers would rise to the occasion. Incidents that involved the latter, especially where his brother and friend were involved, brought him great amusement everytime he visited home.

Itachi learned all this, and more, without knowing his true intentions.

Then the girl grew up. Once a mere bulb, whom he had taken unknowingly under his watchful protection, she blossomed into this bewitching flower. More so than her namesake.

It was when she was 17, fives his junior, did he begin to notice a change within him. His heart beated slightly faster while in her company, or far away in his thoughts. When she became upset, twinges of anger pushed him seek vengeance on the parties responsible for her turmoil. On days he saw her in passing, at home or elsewhere, his thoughts would wander more often than not to the loveliness of her appearance, when he admired her fair face, uncovered by makeup (unlike other girls her age.

It was only when she turned 18, did Itachi realize the magnitude of his _fondness_ towards the girl.

He was _attracted_ to her. An attraction that went beyond physical appearances, and it unsettled him all the same.

He wouldn't call it love, per se, but with the unbearable ache in his chest that has plagued him the days after his revelation, it may as well have been.

A week before his brother's graduation, he finally came to terms with his warring emotions.

He wanted her and everything that came with having her.

So he made a plan. He did not think himself a great poet or a romantic, then or now. However, when he felt inspired, Itachi's work was his absolute best. When he went to the store to purchase a flower, his first choice had been a Sakura blossom. In the end, after much deliberation, he decided on a poetic confession.

Itachi chose the pink camellia. To express the words in his heart that he could not yet speak for himself.

He longed for her. And it's a known fact that longing is the agony of the nearest of the distant.

When her name was called and she walked up towards the stage, Itachi remembered the warm satisfaction he felt when he saw her the flower placed delicately behind her ear, for all the world to see. Once the graduates were set free and made their way to meet their parents, he felt that it was time to make his move. He hid the twin camelia bloom behind his back.

Then he saw them together.

Sakura smiled, as she held hands with his brother.

The constricting feeling in his chest, the feeling of being forcibly hollowed out, only to be replaced with something lifeless— is a feeling he would never forget.

It was a heavy heart, that he knew what he had to do.

_**"These are beautiful, and will look lovely on any grave. Would you like a small vase to go along with it?" The store clerk commented when he had made a selection. Itachi wanted to frown until he realized the lady assumed if he was visiting a deceased loved one. He looked at the flower.**_

**How fitting.**

_**He smiled bitterly. "Something like that..."**_

_**He paid, before quietly leaving.**_

He remembered the warring emotions he felt when he saw them.

Jealousy. Anger. Regret.

And finally resignation.

Between him and Sasuke, there was never no contest.

Like he had done in their impromptu races home from school, Itachi would always, and purposefully, lose to Sasuke if it meant seeing his sullen brother smiling once more.

Which is why, when he had approached the arguing pair that fateful day inside the law building many days ago, and saw the look of intent once again in his brother's eyes, Itachi knew that he would step aside for a second time.

Itachi sighed as he recounted the look of distress on Sakura's face that morning.

It was never his intention to hurt her, or ignore her in the following months after their night out. However, work and writing his master's thesis consumed all of his time. He no longer had a moment's peace to venture inside the diner, just to catch a glimpse of her. Even so, Itachi may have miscalculated the effects his absence would be on Sakura.

She missed him. This girl, who he was invisible to, actually _cared _that he had been gone.

It was a giant, confusing headache, that caused a storm in his mind and heart. Sitting here now alone, in the solace of his thoughts and hometown, Itachi couldn't help but wonder...

It may have been chance that brought him to her that night, but it was his impulse— his desire, that made him sought her company. He wanted to see for himself what had become of the crying girl he met so many years ago.

What if he had walked away that night from her at the diner? What if that night together never happened?

Would Sakura have come return his feelings on her own? Or would he have remained lost to her, like always…?

… _Yes_, he concluded with a bitter smile. And surprisingly, he was content that it was an answer he could learn to live with.

Maybe now, Sakura would find what she's looking for.

Even with his eyes closed, Itachi detected a shadow loom over his still form. He cracked an eye open in the person's direction, then opened the other one and blinked at the unexpected arrival.

Itachi's eyes flickered between Sakura and the array of technicolor orbs floating above her, staring up at her with a look of confusion.

A sense of deja vu wanted to take over, forcing them to remember a time when their roles had been reversed — when she was the one staring up at him from her seat on the bench.

His eyes fell on hers in question. _Why are you here?_

She was wearing a white tank top beneath a faded green flannel, white jean shorts that covered just above her knees, and sandals. It was the afternoon, the next day after she drove up back her home from school. Rushing to get out of the house that morning, she got dressed and forwent the pony tail with her hair flowing freely to mid back. It had grown longer since the last time he had seen her.

"I bet you're wondering why I have so many balloons?" He just continued to stare at her. Nonplussed, she took a seat next to him. "Well, long story short, the three florists within distance of KU were all closed —Of course my luck, they had to be gone for some florist convention."

Silence.

Sakura sighed in exhaustion. "I understand if you're upset with me. My behavior was. . .", _humiliating, inexcusable, the list can go on really._ But finally she settled on one, "Uncalled for. I overreacted, and I truly am sorry.

She released the breath she had been holding and met his dark gaze, determination lighting her green orbs. "There's another reason why I came here."

She paused, "There's something I want to say and I needed flowers —Well I don't actually _need_ them, I just preferred them. Anyway, there weren't any! How does that old saying goes: when life hands you lemons, make lemonade? Or my case, when you're out of flowers, use balloons instead!" She laughed nervously. "It was either balloons, or flowers seeds which I thought would have been stupid and. . ."

"Why are you here, Sakura?" He had spoken little over the past two days, so his voice sounded rough for going unused as long he did.

Sakura cleared her throat and straightened. She stood right in front him, her gaze never wavering from his intense one. "I'm making my move."

There was an awkward pause that followed her declaration. Then,"A purple hyacinth. To say I'm sorry."

She held out a purple balloon with the word 'hyacinth' written in. He noticed that all but two balloons had a different flower name written on it.

"A yellow carnation." She replaced the purple one and held out a yellow balloon. "Which means rejection—" he winced at the word, so she backtracked. "That's sooo, not what I meant."

Her grip on the ribbon tightening. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for rejecting you—" then she clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes widening. Itachi's lips twitched upward at the mortified look on the woman's face before him. "Oh, god that still did not come out right!"

This time, Itachi couldn't a chuckle from escaping his lips. At the sound, all the nervous tension from the beginning left her frame.

She started, "You have a good hold on your emotions. I on the other hand, have the tendency to let my heart speak before my mind.

"You're kind and thoughtful, while my temper makes me mean... borderline abusive." This time he didn't try to hide the smirk from his face when he looked at her, but it only encouraged her to plow on.

"You're selfless to the point you would forsake your own happiness for your family..." at this, she sent him an accusing stare, which he unashamedly met with an accusing one of his own.

_He __will__ probably hunt Sasuke down the next time they met_, she thought with an evil snicker. She shook her head and continued, "While I. . ." she hesitated, "I was too selfish, protecting myself from getting hurt. I didn't notice I was hurting others in return. I couldn't find a flower to represent that so I just chose one I liked." She then held out a balloon that had no word, but was in the shape of a spider, probably to represent the commonly used spider flower. _Interesting_, he mused internally.

Sakura held out a pink balloon with the name 'Aster' written on, but hesitated, "You must be patient, since you've been waiting for me for as long as you have, when honestly I don't think I would have done the same thing." Suddenly her grip on the ribbon that tied to the balloons loosened, and all the balloons instantly found purchase with the wind as they flew away. She was surprised though when she saw his hand reach for the red balloon before the wind could take it.

Itachi's bangs shrouded his face as he spoke quietly. "... What does this one stand for?"

He looked up, but his dark eyes did not once leave the red balloon in his grip. Sakura smiled at the nostalgia of it.

And she told him, "Someone once told me red is the color of bravery." His eyes widened as they flickered back to her. "I felt like I could use some today."

Sakura took her seat beside him again, taking his hand into hers. They were warm and covered in callusses, _from all the writing no doubt _she thought.

"I have my insecurities," she swallowed audibly, "and I'll probably worry too much because I don't want to disappoint you."

She focused hard on their hands that she missed that Itachi's gaze soften, as he looked down at her.

"I'm new to this, and I still have a lot to learn. But if you give me time. . . I want to learn to love you." _Even though, I'm 100 percent, positive that I already do,_ and it was enough. For now.

She made her move, all her cards were in the table. Sakura did what she could. It was now up to him.

The silence that followed was so thick, a knife could probably not even cut through it.

"Please say something." _Anything_.

She started when he suddenly stood up, his back turned to her.

"If we've met before in a different time, different place..." The words 'as strangers' hung in the air. He paused and then whispered. "Would it change anything?"

Sakura answered right away. "No. It would change nothing."

No matter where she was, or where she would be, she would always be pulled to him like gravity. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, even at the risk of getting burned.

She would always find him, just as he had found her.

She didn't see the smile form on his face.

Sakura's heart lurched when Itachi began to walk away. She sagged in her seat, head bowed in resignation.

_So that's that then. _She had tried.

Not even a full minute had passed, and Sakura was still rooted in her seat. Finally, after letting of one last sigh she stood up to leave.

"Do you come here often?"

Her head whipped around to meet him, her momentum pushing her back into her seat on the bench. "N-no."

Itachi stood there, jacket hung casually over his shoulder; maroon t-shirt hugging his torso.

He hummed and nodded at the spot next to her. "Is this seat taken?"

"No-not at all!" She had no idea what he was doing, but she would take what she could get.

He sat half a foot away from her, far enough to see the distance, but close enough to feel his warm presence right next to her. It was nerve wracking.

"My name is Itachi," He held his hand out, his eyes never left hers.

She looked at his offering in confusion and saw the twinkle in his eyes, then suddenly she got it.

Him leaving. Him coming back. Itachi introducing himself first. . .

They were starting over.

"I'm Sakura." Tentatively, she placed her hand in his, and let him fold them together. He didn't let go when he set them down between them, fingers interlaced. She didn't mind.

"It was never my intention to hurt you," Itachi spoke quietly.

When she looked into his eyes, she was surprised to see the storm behind them. This had affected him the same, if not more, she realized.

Sakura whispered, "I know." And she did.

She looked to the sky, a pensive look on her face, before suddenly she started laughing.

Itachi looked at her in question.

"So that's it, huh?" She commented.

He let out his first full smirk, since that night back in February. "Were you expecting more poems and flowers?"

Sakura blushed and slapped the arm closest to her."What? No! I meant, what happened to the magic-mystery explanation?"

Itachi sent her a cryptic smile. "Magic exists in the mystery of not knowing the most infinitesimal things we want to know. That is what I said?"

Sakura nodded.

"Even so, magic shouldn't be limited to just what we know or what we don't know. We can find it anywhere." He moved closer and held a strand of pink hair in between, then whispered. "When you know how to look for it, of course."

She eyed the form of his lips, not noticing when they curled up into another knowing smirk. Finally she looked up, "But the magic has to leave at some point, won't it?" Itachi could see the worry clear in her eyes.

"No."

"No?" She sounded incredulous.

His lips hovered and ghosted over hers as he spoke. Her breath hitched. "Magic never ends, because _true_ magic never dies."

Instead of closing the distance between them like she thought he would, he leaned back into his seat and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. His hand, wrapped to the arm around her shoulders, was still intertwined with hers; and she could feel the steady fall of his chest as he breathed.

_No more waiting, or limiting everything to one night meetings. _

They had time, they both agreed inwardly.

Sakura leaned her head into his chest, just below the crook of his neck. When she felt his lips on the top of her head, she smiled, "Fair enough."

.

.

.

It started with a 'Dear', but ended in someone.

Because this is Haruno Sakura, and he's Uchiha Itachi —And whether it's the mystery of magic, or the magic in the mystery.

Green or red.

Real or fiction.

There is no end or limits to what they can overcome.

For _true_ love never dies.

.

.

.

**End**

* * *

Outtake

"You do know spider flowers are used for wedding proposals?"

...

"Oh."

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who took the time to read. I am humbled by the thoughtfulness in reviews, PMs, favorites and follows. There will not be a sequel for reasons my own. Until next time —when I have a new story to tell

-NJ

**(Edited 11/18/2015)**


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